With the Orioles, Craig Kimbrel is living up to the moniker of “Future Hall-of-Famer.”
In what way does a prospective Hall of Famer surpass anticipations during his first month on a new team? Thus far in the new season, Craig Kimbrel has provided the Orioles with all they could ask for.
On Monday night, Craig Kimbrel pitched his way out of a jam before retiring one of the greatest hitters of the twenty-first century. Kimbrel struck out Mike Trout four times in a row with the winning run on first and the tying run on second. Trout saw all four pass by; three of them were deemed strikes.
Although it makes sense for a pitcher who is seventh on the all-time saves list to pitch with confidence—nobody accumulates 423 saves by mistake—four consecutive heaters need bravery. At thirty-five, in that circumstance, facing that batter? Kimbrel stayed still.
When the Orioles signed Kimbrel to a $13 million, one-year contract in December, they understood they were getting a probable Hall of Famer. At this stage of his career, they were unsure of the kind of pitcher Kimbrel would be.
In the NLCS the previous season, Kimbrel lost his edge. Arizona got the series momentum they needed thanks to the righty’s contribution to the winning runs in Games 3 and 4. Kimbrel fled the city in an attempt to pursue his illustrious career elsewhere after learning of the hatred of the Philadelphia supporters.
For the Orioles, the signing was too good to pass up. With Félix Bautista out for a year, Baltimore needed a one-year substitute, and Kimbrel was the best available rental. While Kimbrel would provide a solid hand at a position that required a lot of pressure, no pitcher could match Bautista’s output.
Before Kimbrel agreed to the biggest free agency contract of the Mike Elias era, the Orioles probably had to ensure that he would be the closer. If Kimbrel faltered, Baltimore had breakout reliever Yennier Cano in reserve. At the time of the signing, DL Hall, a lefty with a strong throwing motion and a closer’s toolkit, was still on the roster.
Even while April is still young, Kimbrel has already surpassed expectations. Against the Angels, he recorded his sixth save and cut his ERA to 0.90. In his debut with the Orioles, Kimbrel failed to make a save on a sacrifice fly, two stolen bases, and a weak single. Even still, the Orioles prevailed in that game, and Kimbrel has been outstanding ever since.
How has this month’s triumph for the 35-year-old been achieved? Kimbrel has an astounding 44.9 K%, placing her in the 99th percentile. His 0.50 WHIP is the lowest among pitchers with multiple saves, and his 16 strikeouts are just behind A’s sensation Mason Miller among closers.
In his final outing against the Angels, Kimbrel finally walked his first hitter of the season. It’s a little hard to see a player succeeding at this level consistently while hammering the zone with fastballs.
Kimbrel’s average fastball velocity, at 93.6 MPH, is lower than the league average. This season, he has thrown the ball 70.1% of the time; the remainder of the duty has been completed by his renowned knuckle curve. After just one spring appearance, rumors about Kimbrel’s changeup were highly overblown; yet, he has only needed two pitches this month.
Right now, Baltimore’s squad is brimming with talent. After a scorching start to the season, the Orioles are getting close to having ten All-Star hopefuls, and Kimbrel must be one of them.
With his current level of play, Kimbrel’s HOF pedigree and veteran status are only perks. The day after the rookie “yeeted” his milestone ball, he hugged Colton Cowser, who contributed to an increasing number of heartwarming moments in 2024. In October, his plethora of experience should help an inexperienced squad. His save duel with Kenley Jansen should provide a sly undercurrent in an AL East matchup.
There wasn’t a lot of excitement throughout the offseason over the signing of Kimbrel. It was a sensible way to deal with a bad circumstance. Even though Kimbrel has already created more noise than many anticipated throughout the early part of the season, the Orioles will still be excited to have Bautista back next year.